U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,060,294, 4,370,008 and 4,367,370, all owned by the assignee of this application, disclose interior wall systems for dividing offices and other interior regions into smaller work areas. These systems include a plurality of prefabricated panels releasably joined together and individually electrically prewired to facilitate the supplying of electric energy to individual work areas. The panels are provided with power blocks adjacent the opposite lower corners thereof, which power blocks are electrically joined by cabling extending along the lower edge of the panel. The power blocks are adapted for connection to up to two flexible electrical connectors for transmitting electrical energy to adjacent series-connected panels.
In wall systems of the aforementioned type, electrical energy is typically supplied to the panels from a floor or ceiling monument, and when the latter is used, the electrical supply cable is normally fed downwardly through a separate power pole connected between adjacent panels or through an interior vertical channel adjacent one end of the panel. These interior vertical channels adjacent opposite ends of the panel are also often utilized for feeding electrical or communication cables vertically therethrough such as for connection to lights mounted on the tops of the panel or for electrical or communication equipment mounted on desk-height work surfaces mounted on the panel. The positioning of electrical and/or communication cables within these interior vertical channels, however, is a difficult operation since the cables must normally be fed through the cables from one end to the other so that not only must a free end of the cable be available, but also the feeding of the cable upwardly or downwardly through this closed channel is complex and time consuming.
Because of the limitations of these interior vertical channels and the increased need for electrical and communication cables at desk-height work surfaces, numerous panel modifications have been suggested in an attempt to facilitate the vertical feeding of electrical and communication cables. For example, one proposal involves the positioning of a horizontal raceway on the panel substantially at mid- or worksurface height, which raceway has a removable or horizontally hinged cover to provide an accessible channel across the panel. This arrangement, however, destroys the esthetics of the panel since the worksurface height raceway divides the side fabric of the panel into upper and lower pads which significantly visually impair the overall appearance of the panel. This is particularly important in situations where the panels define a walkway or corridor since these raceways, by being exposed on both sides of the panel, cause the panels to have an undesirable appearance when used in situations where worksurfaces are not mounted thereon. Further, while this proposal facilitates the positioning of power and/or communication cables directly along worksurface height, nevertheless it does not facilitate the vertical feeding of these cables either upwardly or downwardly relative to the worksurface, such as to top-mounted lights, and such cables generally must still be fed vertically through a closed interior channel or in the alternative are left exposed exteriorly of the panel, neither of which is desired.
Another panel proposal has maintained the prewired electrical raceway along the lower edge thereof. In this proposal, however, access to the closed interior vertical channels requires removing the entire side mat (that is, the fabric covering and underlying sound- o absorbing material) of the panel so as to provide access to the interior channels to permit laying-in of cables. While this obviously facilitates the handling of cables, nevertheless the necessity of removing the entire side mat creates obvious disadvantages. For example, removing the side mat is a cumbersome and difficult operation, and not only restricts the manner in which the side mat can be mounted on the panel, but increases the potential of damaging the mat due to the substantial size thereof in relationship to its thickness and flexibility. Further, constructing a side mat having desired visual and acoustical properties, coupled with desired strength, is further complicated when one attempts to mount the side mat so as to permit its ready removal from the side of the panel. Still further, all panel-hung components such as worksurfaces and file cabinets must be removed in order to permit removal of the side mat, and hence this greatly complicates the laying-in of cables.
A further panel proposal utilizes a side mat which is split into two or three vertically spaced parts so that only the upper or lower mat parts need be removed if desired. While this arrangement provides limited access to the interior channels without requiring removal of all panel-mounted components, nevertheless this multiple-part mat still possesses most of the same disadvantages which exist with respect to the panel proposal which involves removal of the entire side mat. In addition, the panel employing multiple removable mat parts has the added disadvantage that this creates additional visible joint lines which extend horizontally across the panel side. These joint lines significantly visually affect the overall appearance of the panel, and more significantly create a visual appearance which customers have generally found unacceptable or undesirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved panel which includes interior cable-receiving channels extending vertically thereof, which panel overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a highly desirable exterior appearance while at the same time simplifying and facilitating the laying-in of electrical and/or communication cables into the interior channels.
More specifically, in the improved panel of this invention, the panel has an interior channel extending vertically along one and preferably both end edges thereof. This interior channel is closed by an openable door arrangement which can be hingedly moved into an open position so as to uncover one side of the channel and permit cables to be laid directly therein. The door arrangement is externally covered by a portion of the side mat which extends over the entirety of the panel, including the door, which side mat is flexible so as to permit the portion thereof over the door to hinge outwardly when the door is opened so that removal of the side mat is not required. At the same time the side mat can be formed as a continuous covering so as to avoid creation of undesired visual seam or joint lines.
In the panel of this invention, as aforesaid, the hinged door arrangement is preferably provided with upper and lower doors which are vertically spaced apart and are individually hinged. The upper and lower doors are separated by a removable cover member positioned substantially at worksurface height, which cover member is provided with openings or ports for permitting electrical or communication cables to extend therethrough, or for permitting receptacle units to be associated therewith. By removing the cover member, which can be accomplished without demounting the worksurface from the panel, then the upper and lower doors can be individually opened without demounting the worksurface, and cabling can be fed to or from the worksurface either upwardly or downwardly relative thereto to facilitate the laying-in of cables through the interior vertical channels, particularly when these cables extend through horizontal channels along the upper and/or lower edges of the panel. After the cabling has been laid into the vertical channels, then the upper or lower doors can be hingedly swung back into their closed positions so as to protectively enclose the cabling and visually hide it. The panel then provides a visually desirable appearance in that it has a substantially continuous one-piece side mat which totally overlies and covers the interior channels and the cables therein.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the improved panel utilizes a panel-like core structure of a standard size, which core structure is normally adapted to have end trim rails removably attached thereto, such as through the cooperation of a plurality of interfitting hooks and slots, as is conventional. This panel- 0 like core structure has a cabling channel member attached to each end thereof through the standard hook-and-slot connection, and this cabling channel member in turn has the end trim rail attached to the outer end thereof through the standard hook-and-slot connection. The panel-like core structure, with the cabling channel members attached to opposite ends thereof, defines a panel of standard width. For example, the panel-like core structure can be a unit as manufactured for a standard three-foot wide panel, and by utilizing cabling channel members which are about six inches in width, then the overall panel as formed is thus of a standard four-foot width. This improved panel permits utilization of a standard-width panel-like core structure which can either be utilized to permit forming of a standard panel of one width, or can have cabling channel elements attached thereto so as to form a different standard-width panel having the accessible cabling channels of this invention associated therewith.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.